K. N. Katju

Kailash Nath Katju (K. N. Katju) (17 June 1887 – 17 February 1968) was a prominent politician of India. He was the Governor of Odisha and West Bengal, the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, the Union Law Minister, the Union Home Minister and the Union Defence Minister. He was also one of India's most prominent lawyers. He was part of some of the most riveting cases of his times, including the famous INA trials. Dr Katju joined the freedom struggle against the British rule in India early on and spent several years incarcerated with fellow freedom fighters.

Kailash Nath Katju was born in the princely state of Jaora. His family were Kashmiri Pandits who had settled in Jaora (in the present-day Madhya Pradesh). He studied in the Jaora School till March, 1900, when he was sent to Lahore. He passed his matriculation examination from Punjab University in 1901 and passed his B.A. examination from the Christian College, Lahore in March, 1905. In July, 1905 he joined the Muir Central College at Allahabad. In September, 1907 he passed his L.L.B. Examination from the Allahabad University, standing second in the province. In 1908 he passed his Master of Arts examination in History also from the Allahabad University. He started his career in the legal profession at Kanpur in 1908. In 1914 he shifted to Allahabad. In 1919, he took L.L.D. degree.

He defended the accused in the Meerut Conspiracy Case in Allahabad High Court in 1933 and later the military officers accused at the INA trial at Red Fort in Delhi. On 17 July 1937, he became the Minister of Law and Justice and Parliamentary Affairs of the United Provinces in the Govind Ballabh Pant's cabinet. The ministry resigned on 2 November 1939 and soon he was imprisoned for 18 months. He was again imprisoned in 1942. He also served in the Constituent Assembly of India.

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